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The Journal of an Overlord, Volume 2
Here lies the story thus far... The Return Home Ril woke up in his bed. Just as usual, he washed his face, drank a special blend of tea meant to help his magic flow better and did his morning routine. After that he went to the dining hall for breakfast where everyone greeted him. Ril was, after all, the best Dungeon Keeper anyone could ask for. Beloved by not only his minions as a both their boss and their best friend, but also by the many kingdoms outside of his Dungeon as well. The other Dungeon Keepers did not dare to make an enemy out of him and even the Fear Goddess respected and cherished him as the greatest, coolest and manliest champion she could ask for - even offering to hand him his Soul back simply on the grounds of how awesome Ril was. It was hard being that loved. - Waking up to reality: No. No. Wait. What was hard was the ground. Ril woke up, his body dragged by his foot as Ogin wordlessly pulled the Dungeon Keeper out of his garden despite Ril clawing the ground in desperation. Could he not get even a nights rest? Was that too much to ask for? Earlier, the monolithic task of the Vorlorn Exodus was completed. Ril had, thanks to the heroic effort of all those involved, and with a timely save on the part of his comrades, managed to see through the transport of the Vorlorn race to their world. But truly, the universe loved to kick him while he was down. While it was expected that the Vorlorn would need some time to adjust to their new surroundings it was out of his calculations that they would all develop fever like symptoms merely by being exposed to a much more Mana-rich environment. The plan to split up the Renegades and the Conclave and taking only one group with them was canceled and it took the better part of a day to slowly evacuate the entire groggy blue civilization back to the Dungeon. All the while Ril, who had been thoroughly exhausted and bleeding in several places, had to spearhead this endeavor. This was in addition exchanging information with his comrades about what happened in his absence and just how they managed to arrive at the Portal where the Vorlorn were coming through. Henry Mason, Hongshir, Princess Alicia, the Fairy-folk sisters Carmila and Anise, and Jaquen (aka. Percival Miller) had been searching for another Portal that was not blockaded so they could make their way back to Albion. It was during their travel between Portals that they got word that something strange was going on in a certain layer of the Underworld. Henry could not leave well enough alone and (being far too curious for his own good) asked the group to investigate. But, as it turned out, his interest turned to a hunch and then turned to a jackpot. Seeing the flags their were bearing carried a hastily scribbled logo representing "The forces of Dungeon Keeper Merlin" (along with some other heraldry added around it that he did not recognize), he dived into the Portal (against the advice of everyone around him) found himself aiding an unknown race in their battle for survival - reuniting with Ril Veius. To make matters even more complicated Herveus, who had been made aware that Henry was in the Underworld and could not make it back without assistance (the Mist preventing the warlocks from being able to Call them back via Magic) took Xiphos, Horny and some troops with him and managed to find away trough the blockades set around some of the Portals leading to Albion, eventually reaching the same location as the rest of The Party. The rest is, for the sake of our group, history. Soon, elated that the worst is finally over. The party realized that now they still had to deal with: * A new island and race of intelligent Demonic Beasts that appeared in the Mist (The Minotaurans) and the Hydra they had brought to the Dungeon. * The fact that, in the confusion following the closing of the Portal of the Vororn Underworld layer, the duo of Soloaveli's minions (Jaquen the infiltrator and Chio the ninja) vanished into thin air. * That they now had nearly two thousand Vorlorn immigrants to settle somewhere (and to solve their Pylon-related food crisis). * The fact that Henry and Hongshir had made contact with Shining Concord Empire. And to all this the Keeper thought: "......why can it never be easy?" - Aftermath of the Portal Fiasco: While Ril was being dragged through the Dungeon by Ogin, he had sometime to reflect on recent events... When he returned to the Dungeon, Herveus immediately went to speak with Thomas Garl and find out what has happened in his absence. Garl informed Herveus that there was a enemy group stationed outside the exit of the dungeon's portal. Hearing this Herveus quickly gathers a large force, including the Horned Reaper and Xiphos, and heads through the portal to meet the enemy force. Upon exiting the portal Herveus approached the largest of the encampments, that bore the banner of Keeper Sooloavelli. A group lead by a death knight came to meet with Herveus. The death knight came bearing a message for Keeper Merlin from Keeper Sooloavelli "Return my minions and I will withdraw from your lands" followed by "If you do not comply there will be consequences." Herveus responds with "if you remain near the portals there will be consequences." After this Herveus notices that Sooloavelli's minions will not block their path, he returns to Garl and Informs him that the portal is safe to move through. Thomas Garl moves through the portal with some warlocks and, after sometime, locates Henry Mason. Ril is awoken from his reminiscence by a dip in the uneven floor of the dungeon. Ril shouts "Ogin! Let me go I can walk for me self!" Ogin complies and then walks off. Ril stands, dusts himself off, then continues through the Dungeon on foot. While he walks Ril returns to his recollections.... With the Party reunited and the Vorlon in desperate need of aid Ril sends Hongshir to Garl to gather intelligence, setup transport, secure safe passage for the Vorlon. Henry and Herveus, with Carmila and Anise, set off to return Princess Alicia to her family. After reaching Iron Briar Princess Alicia expressed fear that her father would yell at her. When they reached the royal manor the guards nearly tripped over themselves running to get the Prince. What happened next could only be described as a Heartwarming family reunion. Followed by a box of Garl Co. brand fried chicken with which Henry gave with the kind advice of "please enjoy dinner with your family." The Prince thanked Herveus for staying true to his word and returning with Princess Alicia. After returning to the Dungeon Henry gathers Count Shambles and Ogin and sets off to meet with the forces of Sooloavelli. Herveus joins Hongshir in securing safe passage for the Vorlon. Upon exiting the portal, Henry immediately noticed two things: Sooloavelli's minions were breaking camp and there was a group led by a Death Knight approaching him. Henry introduced himself and informed the Deathknight that Keeper Merlin was busy with something and would not be able to meet with him for sometime. Henry continued by stating that he would like to talk to Keeper Sooloavelli in place of Keeper Merlin. The Death Knight responds with "My master does not take kindly to such insults." Henry simply states that "If he won't meet with minions then he will just have to wait." After a few minutes of conversation confirming that a meeting will be held at a later date, Henry and the Death knight part with some classic underworlder farewells and return to their respective duties... Ril is once again knocked out of his thoughts, literally, as he smacks into his office door. After opening the door, Ril goes straight to his desk and absent mindedly starts working. In a few minutes Ril returns to his musings... Moments after giving everyone their tasks Ril takes a breath then notices something is off. He thought that the horned shadow behind him was Horny, but Horny is in front of him. Ril turns to see a tall Minotaur he had apparently forgotten about. After a round of formal introductions, Ril and Xiphos have a pleasant conversation while waiting for news on progress of the plan. Sometime later, all the preparations had been made and the plan was kicked into action as a huge parade of carts and unknown creatures, bearing the banner of Keeper Merlin, marched through the Underworld. Ril came back to reality once more when he realized that he had somehow finished all of his work. After calling a minion in to deliver the papers to Melissa, Ril notices the time and gets ready for bed. As Ril climbs into bed he can't help but smile a little, after all tomorrow is going to be a big day. - Change: A new day dawned, the party was brought together so that Ril could quickly offer Xiphos a minion contract as the new head of the animal department which he cautiously accepts. Ril then teleports Xiphos along with Herveus to the animal pens so that Herveus could show Xiphos around the facilities (a tour in which Xiphos meets Micheal and nemesis) and give him a quick induction before leaving the Minotauran to his own devices. It was not long before Xiphos found some excitement, after asking a group of minions if they'd heard of the new department head and hearing their ridicule he makes an orc eat shit and in record time trains the wargs to go fetch him before revealing his new position and demanding they get back to work. Meanwhile... Henry requested a small chat with Ril in the relaxing environment of his garden, once there, however, Ril turned to come face to face with the cold glint of Henry's crimson eyes, the boy knew from experience this meant business and felt himself begin to stiffen up. And then Henry spoke, "In terms of my contract for the new year: I must re-negotiate some of the details with you, more specifically... I won't be signing any minion contracts." the words rang deep in Ril's ears. "Why Henry?" he asked, feeling bewildered and more than a little bit betrayed. "I've grown to have ambitions of bringing the people of The Underworld and The Light Nations together, and to that end, I've decided it wise to become "a man who works with a keeper" rather than one who works for a keeper," Henry responded calmly and plainly. "But there must be another way of going about this Henry!" Ril almost begging, holding back a tide of emotion, "This is what I decided I need to do." and so Ril did what he always did when he couldn't hold it inside anymore, he recoiled, vanishing and leaving Henry alone in his garden. It took Henry some time to find a way out of the garden, at least without Ril to teleport him. Not that he was in any rush, he knew the boy would need time to stabilize. When he eventually made it to Ril's room he took it slow, opening the door and looked in at the boy, wrapped in his blanket like a cacoon. "I may no longer be your minion but, and pay attention Ril, because I don't say this often but, I will fulfill my promise to you, I will always be there when you need me and I will still do jobs for you, not as a minion but as a friend." Ril shyly lifted his head up "You promise?" he asked still calming down. "If I break this promise you can have my right eye." Henry replied, "I'll hold you to that." With that situation dealt with Henry went on to pitch the Somnium Project to Ril who agreed to it. After calming down Henry and Ril meet back with Herveus so they could all get ready for the end of year celebrations which went well were fun, Ril even gave a fare-well speech to the minions about to leave the dungeon. Truely it would have been the perfect night if not for an incident where Gilgamesh got Ril really drunk. Ril went on to flirt with inanimate objects feels and start causing havoc with keeper hand. Henry walked over to Nurgle and reaching out his hand asked "Got anything that can put people to sleep?" "Here" Nurgle handing the Mason a small vial. Henry quickly styled his hair to look more feminine and using his cape as a makeshift dress he handed his trousers to a nearby half-elf girl before making his way over to Ril, "Hey there button, I've had my eyes on you for a long time now, why don't you show me your room?" All Henry got in response were a few nods before Ril started making his way out of the room. As Henry put his pants back on he was approached by Valna, "You know, for a man you look wonderful in a dress." She said making an advance on the Mason. "Oh?, Hm, well thank you for the compliment. Now, if you don't mind I'll probably be busy for the rest of the night." Replied Henry, before following after Ril and leaving behind a rejected Valna. After putting Ril to sleep Henry made his way to the training hall to meet Herveus as they had agreed upon earlier that night and explained to the skeleton his growing ambitions. Wriggling his fingers he then asked Herveus to punch him, the skeleton threw the punch the scrawny wizard attempted to quickly pull his cape around and harden it into a shield but neither his reflexes nor his casting was fast enough. Knocked flat he expressed his desire to learn to defend himself through dodges and quicker casting. Herveus happily agreed to help, before presenting Henry with the prototype for the crash gun. asking for Henry's aid in completing it. Henry, confessing he would normally refuse immediately gave the skeleton a chance to convince him eventually and reluctantly agrees. The next few hours are spent training. The next day.... Ril Veius awakens in his room he turns to see Henry sitting next to his bed reading a book "Argh. mah head. Henry what happened last night?" the wizard calmly closed his book and turned to the boy before saying: "You owe me a raise, that's what happened." The day went on and the party said goodbye to the minions whose contracts were not being renewed and then began to set up in the meeting room before realising, they had not seen Hongshir that day and so they scryed for his location... He was walking out of the dungeon, Ril was confused and teleported the warrior into the meeting, only to be informed that he had decided he was no longer needed here and he was leaving to wander the world once more. This was crushing for Ril, but after some reassurance, the party said goodbye to the wandering warrior of the Zenshuken school... Hongshir. After this there are few pre-meeting discussions, Where reports are gone over, Henry reveals what happened with the Oracle, Ril gets annoyed as is standard... And as the conversation draws to a close, they discover a letter inviting the party to an event by the royal family. - Meeting Keeper Sooloavelli: The meeting began by going over the research that progressed over the last few months such as the Golem Mk1 finishing touches, Gem Farming progressing slowly, and Sirra's Garden research producing a Room Blueprint for a Garden Room. After which the usual meeting began going over weekly duties, new projects, and paperwork. After the meeting concluding with just Xiphos, Herveus, and Ril remaining, Herveus brought up that Xiphos and Minotaurans were never told about the evils of Dungeon Keepers. So Herveus had a sit-down with Xiphos to talk about the horrors that dungeon keepers commit to the world and the fact that Keeper Merlin is associated with such people. Xiphos took it well though with the understanding that Merlin doesn't seem to be anything like those rumors and horrors. Henry, after the meeting, made his way to Avalon to speak with Dietlinde about doing the construction of his Somnium Project. When Henry got there, Deitlinde was a bit shaken looking worried at a Blueprint she is carrying. Henry asks what is wrong and Dietlinde responds with her worries of whether or not what she is doing the right thing with her construction of Avalon. Henry eases her feelings on the matter and begins talking about his Somnium Project. She agrees to help if he sorts out all of the workforce and payment. He accepts the conditions and heads off to send his request/scouting orders to Cess. After The Party's morning routines, Merlin decided it was high time to thank Keeper Midori for her information about Sooloavelli's invasion. So Merlin gathered The Party and began contact with Midori and proceeded to Thank her and say that he will contact her again if he was in need of her services. Then began preparations for the meeting with Sooloavelli. The Party meets Keeper Sooloavelli on neutral ground: The ruins of Melissandra's auction house, now partially buried under a frozen over lake. Keeper Merlin swiftly got rid of the explosive charges that flanked? the direct path from the hill, with the portal, to the wooden platform where the other Keeper was already waiting with his bodyguards. Sooloavelli appeared from Jaqen's possessed form and the negotiations began. With the negotiations being important Ril left Henry in charge of the negotiating. Henry read the hearts of the group and realized the Sooloavelli is being fully cooperative and willing to negotiate a non-violent solution. So Henry negotiated that if Soolavelli will retract his forces from Albion and tell the priests to retreat we give him all of our prisoners in our care with the neutral understanding treaty of nonhostility, he agreed to the terms. The meeting ends in agreement and Henry checks up on how Jaqen's mental state is, which is progressing smoothly. On their way back the party found a basket waiting for them on a blanket right in front of the portal. In it was 3 pralines, the same amount Ril gave Chio during their adventure. He took the pralines and left some {rice snacks?} Henry left a note, in response to seeing a tracking spell on the basket, saying "Nice Try." - Getting to know Avalon: All the remaining personal was moved to the new dungeon over at Avalon and settled in for winter. Herveus gave Xiphos a tour through all the different floors and layers of the dungeon until they were interrupted by the unnatural sound echoing through the hallways that marked the beginning of the service to the fear goddess. Xiphos followed the sermon held by priestess Amala, listened when she told about the past and future glory of the Dark Goddess and even received a vision of kingdoms built on and defeated by fear. After the service the young priestess informed Keeper Merlin, who also attended, that his chosen patron wished that he worked on his reputation. Many of the minions did not fear him enough. So Merlin scheduled the next "sparring session" with Red to take place in the public plaza on the surface. Collateral damage to the surrounding buildings reminded any minion watching just how powerful their Keeper was and earned him a lot of respect. - The Winter Solstice: With the beginning of the Winter Solstice,' '''a week long period on Albion where the sky turns dark and no sunlight can pierce the Mist, Keeper Merlin cautioned all his minions to retreat to the first underground layer of Avalon as the surface would be fraught with peril and malicious Spirits. Detailing the nature of these Spirits and what they could do to the unprepared frightened the minions so much that Ril unintentionally earned a "good work!"-note from Amala. The only one who ignored the warning was Henry Mason who stubbornly remained in his abode on the surface. Soon enough, the haunting started and Henry, always the playful sort, attempted to repay in kind. Thus began the event known as the '''First Avalon Prank War'. Meeting Falya It was while most of the people were holed up bellow ground that The Party received an invitation to visit Grand Necromancer Falya, daughter of Keeper Moslyeas and the person who raised Herveus as a Death Knight, in her own abode at the night of the peak of the winter solstice. The location was a former temple of The Light, surrounded by a graveyard and rebuilt to suit its new purpose. Statues of gargoyles and angels stood amongst the tomb stones. When Keeper Merlin used the door knocker on the front door, its demonic looking face itself answered and invited them in. In the dark hall, torches flared up to lead them to the first underground chamber. An active Magic Circle glowed green in the center of the room, but the throne, placed in the location where an altar would usually be, was empty. After a short while, the Spectre Patricia appeared through a wall and informed The Party that her mistress excuses herself. Something urgent came up and required her full attention. When Herveus asked for a chair for Merlin, she left to order a couple of skeletons to heave a throne-like piece of furniture down the stairs. They were accompanied by a zombie butler in a suit that offered beverages to the guests. Merlin then took a closer look at the Magic Circle to find that it was currently used to channel vast amounts of mana to an even lower level of the building. The magical energy amassed there could completely disintegrate the entire building they were in and the surrounding graveyard if released. While Merlin struggled to retain his composure, Xiphos, completely unawares, took a sip from the wine that was offered. He quite liked it. Suddenly a stretched-out howl echoed from below. The butler immediately went to investigate, but left the door to the stairwell down open. Colorful flashes reflected from the walls, accompanied by harsh shadows. Explosions, shouts, eldritch invocations and all the other sounds of a battle could be heard. Another loud boom, and a cloud of bust welled up the stairs. Out of the could staggered a partially burned zombie butler, moaning and gaping like a fish, waving his remaining arm before he broke down and remained motionless on the ground. Finally, The Party decided to act. But while Merlin would have preferred to leave, Herveus was determined to investigate (and, after firmly putting his arm on Merlin and then dragging him along, he shared some of his determination with him). When they reached the lower level, they saw Falya engaging in a magic duel against a robed skeleton that was clearly floating in mid-air. Her opponent was dressed in the rags of expensive robes and wielding a long staff decorated with an ornate snake winding around its length and biting into the crystal ball at its top. He stood in the air above the center of a Magic Circle – the twin of the one directly above. The room was wrecked, furniture knocked over and the walls scorched and cracked. Xiphos charged at the skeleton, but ran into a solid wall of magic flaring up from the circle. Fayla, while keeping a close eye on her opponent, called out to Herveus in a voice too collected and calm given the circumstances: "Break your bond." And Herveus, without any hesitation, gathered his will and broke the minion bond with Merlin. - The Battle With The Death Priest: Bolts fire and blasts of multicolored energy leapt from the serpentine staff of the skeleton, shattering stone and melting chunks off of the walls. The enemy was formidable. A Master of Magic that specialized in destruction. Arcs of power seemed to poor down with no end in sight. "A Death Priest." - Merlin realized, murmuring to himself. Death Priests. The highest church officials of Crowned Death, Dark God of All Things Undead. Second in authority only to Crowned Death's Cardinal. 'Why such a person would be here, trying to take the life of Falya, is something they were unaware of but one thing was certainly clear - The Party had gotten involved in something far over their heads. The Priest turned his head towards the new arrivals and warned them. "This does not concern you." "Leave." Any sane group would turn tail and leave. To stand between a Death Priest and what they wanted is to deny the wishes of the Dark God whose wishes they acted on. To make an enemy of them is to turn one of the darkest powers of the known World into an enemy. So of course, The Party did not hesitate to support their boneheaded comrade who had jumped forward to shield the girl he had raised (and who had ''raised him). The Death Priest struggled to keep his staff in his hands, its wight increasing as a result of Henry's Wizardry to a point where if with both arms it became difficult to grip the arcane tool. All the while the Undead reeled backwards within the magical circle as the echoing howl of the Grim Hound summoned by Merlin sent a jolt of pain down to the core of his being. "'''Do not presume to tell me what to do." The battle that followed was not one of beating down an opponent - but was one of gaining time. Falya needed time to rewrite the magic array on the ground that surrounded the robed skeleton and he was not going to hand it to her. Herveus shielded his creator with his own body and weapon against countless blasts of power. All the while Falya used him as the focus for whatever spellwork she was in the middle of doing. Henry assisted from the other side. He alone managed to glimpse at Falya's intentions and, with a focus that bordered the limits of what is possible for a Human-folk, began to rewrite the magical glyph-cipher that made up the array. Xiphos and Merlin on the other hand, were preoccupied with aiding then comrades in a different way. The Death Priest had used a large scale spell to wrestle control over all of Falya's undead that were above them. Soon enough, and avalanche of skeletons and zombies hammered at the impromptu barricade that Xiphos had set up. Even with the support of Merlin's magic the barricade barely held together against the onslaught of the horde of undead combined with the Death Priest's rays of black energy that twisted and rotted everything they came into contact with. The Party barely managed to hold on - until the roof came down. With a crash and an earthshaking roar a massive skeletal beast - an Undead Dragon - came in while smashing the ceiling of the basement like it was a dried up pastry. Shards of stone came poring down and, if it were not for Xiphos' lighting like reflexes, Henry would have ended crushed beneath the rubble. But now the door stood unsupported. Undead burst forth adding onto the chaos as the Party struggled to keep up. Herveus could not move his feet. The fact he was still conscious was, onto itself, a miracle. Falya had been using him as a conduit for an amount of mana that would cause most to be reeling in agony but Herveus the Reilient stood, defending his creator from rubble and from the attacks of the(now brainwashed) Patricia while firmly stating: "It barely even itches!" His comrades did not allow themselves to fall behind such a display. Merlin held back the innumerable weapon swinging skeletons at the door while Xiphos stood between the Dragon and the barrier - confronting the monster with his bare hands. But the crux of the matter came down to Falya and Henry. In all of this chaos the two did not allow their attention to waver for a second and, inches away from defeat, managed to grasp victory. The magic array changed color and began to glow blindingly with its intensity. The Death Priest could only howl in rage as his body, as well as a good portion of the building, broke down and was incinerated in the resulting pillar of energy that exploded from the circle on the ground. When the energy calmed all that remained of him was small bits and pieces of his burning robe, floating down like snowflakes and his staff, which had been sent flying to the corner of the room when the blast hit. The battle was over. - The "Alliance Talks" With The Grand Necromancer: Well, one battle anyway. The battle was so fierce that it was easy to forget that, in the first place, The Party had arrived here in order to discus detail about an alliance. In some ways - Ril preferred the battle. Falya was not exactly a "chatty sort". One could not even go as far as to call her a "talking sort". The Grand Necromancer who sat across from them, Particia (now sane after Falya regained control over the undead in the building) at her side, in the half blasted open to the night sky dining room was the type of person who seemed to hate "the overuse of words". What this meant was that Falya much rather preferred to keep any responses at the levels of nods and small gestures. The type of person who compresses any complex statement she is supposed to say into a single, curt, one word reply. Were it not for Patricia serving as a translator the conversation might not have managed to get anywhere for the entire night. Falya had refused to explain the purpose behind her ritual and ended that topic then and there. Merlin ten shifted the topic to them joining the same side and offered her a Minion Contract - only to have it light up in purple flame without even being read. Herveus and Henry did state beforehand that Falya was unlikely to to join them as a Minion but not even bothering to read the details of employment was something that may have gotten under Merlin's skin just a wee bit. It had been a long time since Ril had been quite so upset (and behaved so passive-aggressively so openly) at someone. On Patricia's demand to "change the topic" Merlin responded to, right then and there, had a Minion Contract over to Herveus and tell him to sign it to become a minion again. "When goat meets goat - then comes the butting of heads." - an old Albion proverb. Seeing that the conversation began to take a bad turn, Herveus and Henry proceeded to try and smooth things over. They urged for a compromise. They spoke of the benefits of an alliance with a zeal that seemed to dunk Merlin's head in some much needed cold water. Then Falya asked about Herveus. Most of her questions did. Something Merlin picked up on and responded to with his mouth before his mind could fully process the words coming from his mouth. "Herveus is mine." It was like someone had struck an invisible wall in the room and shattered it with a warhammer. The statement was short but the implications were many. Some back and forth occurred but soon enough both Falya and Merlin were starring dead at Herveus and waiting for his response. Herveus was caught in the crossfire like a child whose parents were fighting over him. Telling him to choose who he likes best. Herveus chose both. He stated, clearly and with pride, that both parties meant a lot to him. Falya was his "creator" their bond was not one that could ever be broken. Merlin was the person he chose to stand by and help. He would abandon neither. He would give up neither. That was the kind of person Herveus was. When faced with that, what option was there then to put their arguments aside? The talks began to resemble civility for the first time and both sides came to an agreement to continue negotiations next time. In regards to the aid they provided during the defense from the Death Priest, Falya did offer them a sizable coffer of gold as a reward for their assistance - but Merlin refused. Stating that he would not do something in quite such bad taste as to receive a reward for a battle they chose to involve themselves in on their own. This un-Dungeon Keeper like response nearly made Patricia's head spin in surprise. The meeting at an end for now, Merlin stood and decided to take his leave, but Henry and Herveus wanted to stay for "a bit longer" to discuss some private matters. Xiphos, done with his bottle of delicious vintage Malbolge wine thats name he made sure to remember, and Merlin disappeared into thin air with the characteristic "plop" of Keeper Teleportation. So Falya and Henry could have their talk. Henry was very interested in Falya and, in a move fairly out of character for him, stated it quite outright. For him, this was the first time he had seen a person that was unreadable. Not hard to read mind you - unreadable. Falya had emotions deep down, he was sure of it, but nearly nothing ever bubbled up to the surface. For Henry, to whom people were a open book of tells and ques, such a thing caused in him a sense of wonder. He did not even notice that he had almost full opened his usually squinted eyes. But there was another reason for his interest. Henry had been the only person to catch a glimpse of what Falya really intended. Even Herveus, one of the people with who had the deepest relationship with Falya, did not know the details of how she made him. But Henry got a peek. Trough the complex array that he examined that said so much about the character of the person who made it. Trough the slight movements and shivers in the mana that coursed trough the glyphs. Trough the arcane methods that she used that all pointed towards there being far more to Herveus then there was to most Death Knights. But Falya did not speak to him of it even after he brought up his guesses. But she would not soon forget "one of the few people to ever come close to understanding her Magic." The one-sided conversation slowly wound to a close, Henry decided to give Herveus and Falya the privacy they had not shared for so long. He would wait for his companion in the lobby bellow. - Meeting In The Moonlight: Herveus followed Falya, who did not even need to gesture or speak for him to understand her intention, down to the basement where they had their battle with the Death Priest. Ten years. It had been ten years since the broken Herveus, defeated and tortured, was brought to Falya and given (un)life anew. "She was so small back then" - Herveus thought to himself as he looked upon Falya doing some work to readjust the spell array. He had watched her grow up - raised her even - in place of her mother who was busy ruling her dark domain. His feeling towards her were nothing short of that of a father looking upon his child. It was funny, in a way. All it took for Herveus to "settle down" was him dieing. His hollow head now thought about so much more then just his country and and his duty as a knight. The heart he no longer had in his chest now felt such complex emotions about his existence, about how he wanted to protect his former comrades, the daughters of Moslyeas and the people he stands by now. Falya gestured for him to enter the circle. It was not like last time, there was no pain. The mana gently moved trough him. She was taking extra care this time most likely. She must have felt bad about the rushed job she needed to do before. They stood like that, in the light of the Moons. Herveus had lost track of for how long. "Done." With that short word the power inside Herveus unwound and the glow of the circle at their feet dimmed. He turned to face Falya. "I chose to help him. To see trough what he wishes." "..." "But should you ever need me - I will come running." "..." He reaffirmed his resolve. Should Falya had wanted she could have easily used her Magic to bind Herveus to her. To keep him at her side. But she chose to respect his wishes. The little girl he met so long ago had grown up so much... "I will be seeing you soon Falya. Till next time." - Herveus said as he began walking to meet Henry upstairs. He did not turn around. He did not see the small change in facial expression on the young woman behind him. The smile that she never shown to her family. To her closest aids. To any of her other creations. A faint smile that glimmered in the moonlight that was shining in trough the hole above them. A smile for Herveus only. "........take care." - The Shortest Exhange: "How do I compete with that?" - said Ril, still wearing his Merlin outfit while walking with Xiphos to the next Portal. "Pardon me Lord Merlin? Compete with what?" - said the Minotauran, picking up the sad tone of Ril's voice. Compared to Xiphos the young man was small, but for some reason he felt especially small, fragile even, right now. "She cares for him. I could tell. Should she ask, would he chose to stay with me over her? She could give him happiness.... ................what is it that that I have given him?" "..." "....That, Lord Merlin, is a question that only you can answer. " - King Albrecht: After returning to the Dungeon from Falya's abode Ril, once again, hunkered down in his office, boarding up his room for the rest of the week, all the while Henry finished his prank war with the Spirits, ending things on friendly terms with a number of them. Herveus went to check with the Information Department, curious as to why a Death Priest was sent after Falya. There, Cess handed him a notice that had begun to circulate the Underworld shortly before the Party went to meet with her, which placed a bounty on her head and branded a heretic to the church of Crowned Death. Xiphos approached Ril in his office and asked to be taken home in order to report back the the elders. Ril, superstitious man that he is, initially refuses to do it during the Winter Solstice but though caves in once Xiphos got sulky. After covering Xiphos and their chariot in superstitious charms and nonsensical paints and twigs, they are approached by a confused Herveus, though Ril does what he can to leave and avoid Herveus' gaze a soon as possible (as he had not come to terms on how to face him after mouthing off like that in front of Falya and him). They arrive on Minos without issue and talk with the Elders, Xiphos introduces Merlin and shares his experiences with the outside old so far, explaining that Merlin could help them get in touch with the other people in the Mist, Merlin occasionally throwing in words of his own and providing an odd demonstration or two to support Xiphos' words. Doril, of course, strives to make this as difficult for Xiphos and Merlin as possible. After hearing all of the point made by both sides the Minotauran Elders went discuss amongst themselves, putting off their official verdict till the next day. Xiphos spends most of the day after that catching up with old man Dionysus and eventually has Merlin meet the Guilded Griffon. The next day a decision was made and a teleportation pad was set up, with Doril positioned as its guard. Once the Winter Solstice was over The Party prepared for their meeting with the King of Albion, with Henry arriving ahead of the rest of the group in order to establish his new image of working with not for Merlin. He spends some time discussing things with the King and Prince Arutha while they await Merlin. Giving his opinions on Merlin and the outside world. Meanwhile... Ril and Herveus meet Court Wizard Dumat in a waiting room on their way to meet the King. He confronts them with his suspicions that Merlin is not who he says he is, even providing evidence to back up his claim. Merlin goes on to deny the Court Wizard an explanation, stating that if he wanted to share his personal history he would have done so by now. Having prepared himself beforehand for this kind of inquiry (with a some help from Jacker and Count Shambles) Merlin tells Dumat a little story they speak of in the south of Albion called "A Tale of a Nail". "Once, long ago, an Orkney messenger was tasked with delivering a very important message. The blacksmith shoeing his horse noticed the soldier was in a great rush and tried to ready his horse as fast as possible but, lo an behold, he was one nail short to complete his work. The messenger could not wait for the blacksmith to craft a new nail and hastily rode his horse to his destination. Here is where it begun. For the want of a nail - the horseshoe was lost. For the want of a horseshoe - the horse was lost. For the want of a horse - the rider was lost. For the want of a rider - the message was lost. For the want of a message - the battle was lost. For the want of a battle - the castle was lost. For the want of a castle - the border was lost. For the want of a border - the capital was lost. For the want of a capital - the King was lost. And for the want of a King - the Kingdom was lost. And so this tale shall tell - how Orkney fell for the lack of a single nail." Merlin then proceeded to pull from his cloak a single, thoroughly rusted and worn, horseshoe nail (a well crafted fake of course, courtesy of the Count doing his Magic on a nail the former blacksmith had prepared.) The Court Wizard was none the wiser though and was left in his chair, speechless. They called for Merlin and Herveus to, finally, meet with the monarch of Albion. Upon entering the study in which and sitting down across from the King Albrecht and his younger brother, Arutha, the discussion escalates quickly, with Arutha and The King pointing out Merlin's offences against the country and how he is causing unrest among the Albion population and expressing a want for more control over their contact with the outside, without having to go through Merlin. Merlin meanwhile does his best to deflect these accusations and explain why giving them what they want is not so easy but goes a but unfortunately does so in a manner that makes him appear arrogant. The near-explosive situation is diffused however (thanks to a great effort made by the rest of The Party). Arutha proposes a political play to swing public opinion around by portraying Merlin as the villain. By officially declaring war on the Dungeon Keeper, Albion also get a leg up in their future relationship with the League of Good Nations (while working side by side with The Party in secret). The Party sees the merits in this plan and, sacrificing the reputation they had build up so far for the future of the island, agree to Arutha's idea. Ending the meeting with a promise of future cooperation. After the meeting concludes, Henry takes a detour to meet with a member of the Silver Dragon Clan to ask for a new location within the mist where he can found the Somnium institute. The Clan will discuss the matter. Ril performs the familiar ritual on the plant he named Nimue. - Preparing the Winter Fake-Out Merlin calls in a meeting with his highest ranking minions to discuss ideas for what he calls the "Winter Fake-Out": The political play that will turn Keeper Merlin into a villain in the public eye. Some propose the ever popular: "Let's finally start to conquer this island!" but Merlin would have none of that. Too sudden, too unrefined and contradicting is previous actions on several level that nobody who thought twice about it would actually fall for that ploy. Also, what would he do if he actually "won"? "The King was pretty angry with us for what we already did. So why don't we simply do more of that?", Herveus suggests. There was the still unresolved topic of some Dark Priests who supposesdly roamed freely on Albion and who hadn't reacted to Merlin's promise of a pardon and safe passage off the island. If Merlin's agents would be a bit less sublte in their search for the missing priests, it might not only increase their chances, but also create enough of a fuss that the king would be forces to officially declare Merlin persona non grata and banish him from the kingdom. In the following confusion Merlin would then "kidnap" a priest of the Light so he could perform his services on Avalon from then on. To put the finishing touches on the act, Henry would eventually be presented as a spy loyal to the crown and a hero who risked life and more to uncover that "evil wizards" schemes. For that service to the kingdom and hte crown Henry ideally would be rewarded with the requisitioned holdings of the Garl Company. Now all that was lefr was to sell that plan to the other parties involved, namely the King, the Silver Dragons and, to a degree, the Light. Herveus goes praying. Soon after the meeting, Herveus wearing his shining armor travles to Evercalm to visit the temple of the Light. He attracts a lot of attention while walking across the town square and the townsfolk gathers to gawk at the giant in shining plate the likes of it they never have seen before. When he crosses the doorstep, the Death Knight unwittingly triggers the temple's defenses and is blasted by holy energies. Immediately priests and temple guards come running, but they disarm the trap when they recognize Herveus. The former Knight of Avatar Island then walks to the altar to speak his prayers in silence. He reports of Merlin's deal with the Goddess of Fear, of the negotiations with Keeper Sooloavelli and many other things that have transpired since the last time Herveus had prayed. Finally he mentions that Merlin also wishes for a Priest of the Light to travel to Avalon and to consecrate and run a temple here. Nothing happens. No summons to a plane of white, no unseen entity speaking with a chorus of voices. Only when Herveus stands up to leave does an acolyte approach him to say: "The Light has received your prayer." A Dance with Dragons The Party travels to a meeting with the Silver Dragons of the Silver Island. They are greeted by Aurora and escorted to the meeting place of the dragons, a paved circle surrounded by pillars, all nestled in a crater near the top of the highest mountain and close to the high shrine to the Spirit of the Mist. Many topics are discussed and the debate jumps back and forth repeatedly. The innitial reason for this meating was to report that the migration to Avalon was completed. Still the dragons were skeptical: Didn't he still have many minions operating in the mines of the Garl Company? And what about his guards at the Underworld Portal? At the moment, while he forbade everyone else to use them Keeper Merlin was the only one who had control over such a device. The potential for abuse was enormous and the Silver Dragons didn't like it. Eventually they agreed with the Keeper to assist him with the task of guarding the portal in exchange for better insight and control who uses it and when. Merling also informed them about Prince Arutha's proposal of a staged war and its desired outcomes. Upon hearing that, Aurora, speaking for a rather moderate and modern faction within the clan, praised its wisdom while others deemed it to risky. One particular dragon went so far to call it dishonorable and shameful. The clan had spent centuries to teach the humans of Albion the meaning of justice and honor and now, not even a year after the first contact with the outside world, their protégé turned to lies and deceit. And in general all that happend way too fast for his liking. The people of Albion should have slowly been introduced to the harsh reality of the outside world, not overrun like that with another incident every other month. And was it really a coincidence that Keeper Merlin could be found at the core of each one of them? That dragon demanded that Albion returned to the way things were, by force, if neccessary. It took Henry all his ornatory skills to quieten down the roar of debate that folloed these words. Eventually the Clan acknowledged that it was too late to seek refuge in isolation again. The damage had been done, they said, and things would probably be worse had Merlin not interfered time and again. (Behind his mask, Ril was sweating bullets since it was he who let the first orcs escape and spread the knews about Albion, so technically all of that was indeed his fault.) That left the question how to best protect the Kingdom of Albion from their own curiosity for the outside world? Now Merlin proposed the following: Since King Albrecht was planning to find someone who would form a contract to the Spirit of the Mist so the Kingdom would have the means to send ships and massages through the Mystical Barrier, the Silver Dragon Clan could place one of their own in this key position. That way they could control the flow of everything going in and out of Albion. "Yet even more deceit and conspiracy!" the conservative dragon complained, but could not provide a better solution. No, the dragons would not place one of their own in that position, but they gave no reason why. Instead they would consult the list of potential candidates they seemingly kept up to date at all times. Now Ril was shocked: "Does that mean you have spied on me my entire life?" "No, not directly. We only knew that there was one young boy living in the Southern Mountains with a strong affinity for spirits in general and that the Spirit of the Mist deemed him compatible. Once in a while we would check if you were still alife, but little more since it was unlikely anything would ever come of that. Why?" With mixed feelings, the Party left shortly afterwards. To be continued... Category:Journal